Battery module, and battery pack and vehicle comprising same

Abstract

A battery module according to the present disclosure includes a plurality of battery cells, each including an electrode lead which extends in horizontal direction from a front side, the electrode lead having at least one bent part, wherein the electrode leads disposed adjacent to each other in up-down direction are stacked in up-down direction in surface contact with each other, and a plurality of lead cartridges, each including two post parts disposed at each of an outer side of one end of the electrode lead and an outer side of the other end, a partition part formed in a shape of a plate which stands erect in up-down direction between the two post parts and having a receiving space in which the electrode leads in surface contact are individually received inside, and a first spacer part which protrudes forward from top of the partition part to space the electrode lead which protrudes out of the receiving space apart from a different electrode lead.

What is claimed is: 
     
       1. A battery module comprising:
 a plurality of battery cells, each battery cell including an electrode lead that extends in a horizontal direction from a front side of the respective battery cell, each electrode lead having at least one bent part, wherein the electrode leads of adjacent pairs of the battery cells are in surface contact with each other; and 
 a plurality of lead cartridges, each lead cartridge including two post parts disposed at opposite ends of the electrode leads of one of the adjacent pairs of the battery cells, a plate-shaped partition part extending in a vertical direction and in a horizontal direction between the two post parts and having a receiving space in which the electrode leads of the one of the adjacent pairs of the battery cells are received inside, and a first spacer part that protrudes forward from a top of the partition part, the first spacer part being configured to space the electrode leads of the one of the adjacent pairs of the battery cells from the electrode leads of other ones of the battery cells. 
 
     
     
       2. The battery module according to  claim 1 , wherein each lead cartridge further includes a support part that protrudes forward from each of a central part and a lower part of the partition part, each support part being configured to support a respective sensing bus bar. 
     
     
       3. The battery module according to  claim 2 , wherein each lead cartridge further includes a second plate-shaped spacer part disposed between the two respective post parts, each second spacer part being configured to space the electrode leads of the one of the adjacent pairs of the battery cells from the electrode leads of the other ones of the battery cells. 
     
     
       4. The battery module according to  claim 3 , wherein the two post parts, the partition part, the first spacer part, the support part and the second spacer part of each lead cartridge are integrally formed. 
     
     
       5. The battery module according to  claim 3 , wherein the two post parts, the partition part, the first spacer part, the support part and the second spacer part of each lead cartridge are made of an insulating material. 
     
     
       6. The battery module according to  claim 3 , wherein the electrode leads of the one of the adjacent pairs of the battery cells includes a first electrode lead that protrudes forward from a left side part of the front side of the battery cell and a second electrode lead which protrudes forward from a right side part of the front side of the battery cell,
 the lead cartridge includes a first lead cartridge configured to receive the first electrode lead and a second lead cartridge configured to receive the second electrode lead, and 
 adjacent post parts of the two post parts of the first lead cartridge and the two post parts of the second lead cartridge have an engaging part on a contact surface configured to couple the adjacent post parts. 
 
     
     
       7. The battery module according to  claim 6 , wherein the second spacer part of the first lead cartridge is plate plate-shaped and is disposed between the two post parts, the second spacer part being configured to space the electrode leads of the one of the adjacent pairs of the battery cells from a different electrode lead disposed above. 
     
     
       8. The battery module according to  claim 6 , wherein the second spacer part of the second lead cartridge is plate plate-shaped and is disposed between the two post parts, the second spacer part being configured to space the electrode leads of the one of the adjacent pairs of the battery cells from a different electrode lead disposed below. 
     
     
       9. The battery module according to  claim 1 , wherein each lead cartridge further includes a cylindrical coupling member extending in the vertical direction, and
 at least one of the two post parts has a through-hole that runs in the vertical direction, and the plurality of lead cartridges is coupled and fixed to one another with the coupling member inserted into the through-hole. 
 
     
     
       10. The battery module according to  claim 1 , wherein at least one of the two post parts has a coupling protrusion on a top or a bottom thereof, and the other has a coupling groove that corresponds to the coupling protrusion. 
     
     
       11. The battery module according to  claim 1 , wherein the two post parts each have coupling protrusions that protrude from a front side thereof, and the coupling protrusions are each inserted and fitted into coupling grooves formed at opposite ends of a sensing bus bar. 
     
     
       12. A battery pack comprising the battery module according to  claim 1 . 
     
     
       13. A vehicle comprising the battery module according to  claim 1 .